AviationUWO course trains pilots onlineA new online flight-training program being marketed by the University of Western Ontario should make the skies safer for private pilots. HANK DANISZEWSKI |
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Suzanne Kearns, a professor at the University of Western Ontario, has developed a flight simulator program to help train private pilots. The program, available online, is called Online Single-Pilot Resource Management.
"Pilots are human and humans make mistakes. When you encounter bad weather or system malfunctions it can be overwhelming." said Suzanne Kearns, a lecturer with Western's Commercial Aviation Management Program.
Although much attention is centred on commercial airlines, Kearns said about 95 per cent of accidents happen in general aviation -- including private planes, corporate jets, charters and rescue helicopters.
Of those accidents, 97 per are caused by pilot error.
She said one of the most common accidents occurs when pilots slam an aircraft into a hillside or crash to the ground because they are relying too heavily on their instruments.
Kearns said her program gives private and general aviation pilots the same kind of training given to commercial and military pilots.
"If you can mentally practise something before you do it, research tells us it improves your performance," said Kearns, who is a licensed commercial pilot.
Kearns' program can be downloaded on a home computer and includes instruction as well as flight simulator exercises.
Kearns said pilots who completed her program did significantly better in flight simulator tests than another group of pilots who had not taken the program.
The program, known as the Online Single-Pilot Resource Management (OSRM), is available at osrm.ssc.uwo.ca. The program costs $50 and takes about 90 minutes to complete.
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